BREAKING NEWS: Jurgen Klopp is left DEVASTATED after his mother’s death, with the Liverpool manager BLOCKED from attending the funeral of 81-year-old who ‘meant everything to me’ in Germany due to Covid travel rules
- Jurgen Klopp’s mother Elisabeth died on January 19 at the age of 81
- Liverpool manager wasn’t able to attend the funeral because of Covid-19
- Klopp paid tribute to his late mother, saying ‘she meant everything to me’
- He said a ‘wonderful commemoration’ will be planned when restrictions ease
- Germany has banned travel from the UK over fears Covid variants may spread
Jurgen Klopp’s mother Elisabeth has died at the age of 81 and the Liverpool wasn’t able to attend her funeral on Tuesday because of Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Klopp lives with his family in Liverpool and is prohibited from travelling to his home country amid fears of spreading variants of the coronavirus.
Speaking to the Schwarzwalder Bote newspaper, Klopp paid tribute to his mother, who died on January 19, saying ‘she meant everything to me’ and that a ‘wonderful commemoration’ will be planned when travel opens up again.
Elisabeth Klopp, the mother of Liverpool manager Jurgen (right), has died at the age of 81
Klopp pictured with his mother Elisabeth in 2011 when he was Borussia Dortmund manager
The 53-year-old said: ‘She meant everything to me. She was a real mum in the best sense of the world. As a devout Christian, I know she is in a better place now.’
He last visited Elisabeth in Germany for her 80th birthday but restrictions on travel imposed by the German authorities mean he won’t be able to attend the funeral in person.
‘The fact that I can’t be at the funeral is due to the terrible times,’ Klopp added. ‘As soon as the circumstances allow, we will hold a wonderful commemoration that is appropriate to it.’
Klopp pictured on the sidelines during Liverpool’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday
Jurgen, who was born in 1967, is the youngest of three children to come from the marriage of Elisabeth Reich and Norbert Klopp in 1960. Stefanie was born in 1960 and Isolde in 1962.
Norbert died in 2000 following a short illness at the age of 66, just a few months before Jurgen landed his first coaching job with Mainz.
Elisabeth was the second-eldest of four born to Eugen and Helene Reich, who owned a brewery in the town of Glatten. Her working life started by delivering crates of beer to taverns with her eldest sister Marianne and also running the family grocery store.
She married Norbert Klopp, who was learning the craft of making fine leather bags, after meeting at a dance. Norbert was also a goalkeeper and had trials with prominent German club Kaiserslautern.
The same travel restrictions imposed by the German health authorities, designed to prevent mutant strains of Covid-19 that originate in Britain getting into the country, mean Liverpool must play the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie away to RB Leipzig in Budapest next week.
Liverpool’s form has slipped in recent weeks as their hopes of retaining their Premier League title have faded.
They have lost to Burnley, Brighton and Manchester City, all at home, in the league and exited the FA Cup to Manchester United all after January 19.
More to follow.